HC grants interim stay on govt ban on Care World TV channel

The Bombay High Court today granted till November 24 interim stay on the week-long government ban on Care World TV Channel for allegedly showing objectionable content.
Care World is a 24x7 channel on 'health and wellness' and has been telecasting programmes on its network since last 10 years, according to its Chairman Atul Saraf.
Hearing a petition filed by Care World TV challenging the ban imposed by Information and Broadcasting Ministry, Justice M S Karnik granted interim relief for a fortnight and asked the government to file a reply by November 23.
The vacation bench of the high court also asked the petitioner to move a regular bench on November 24 to get the matter listed before it for further hearing.

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry had earlier directed Care World TV channel to be taken off air for seven days for alleged objectionable content.
It alleged that the channel had put out indecent content after which Inter Ministerial Committee (IMC) looked into the matter.

Based on its recommendations, the I&B Ministry issued the order which said that Care World TV channel should be taken off air for a week from November 9.
The government had issued show cause notice to the channel alleging that it was showing obscene programmes on TV.
The channel contended in its petition that the allegations were baseless and there was no obscenity or indecency shown in its programmes.

The channel had telecast programmes on sexual disorders in its programmes in which doctors had given their views.
"Our programmes are being telecast since last 10 years and no complaints had been received from any quarters so far until the recent government ban," said the channel's chairman.
The programmes of Care World TV are educative and bring about awareness among the audience, the petition prayed and urged for lifting the government ban on the channel.